Champions of Breakfast

We all remember our first introduction to the diner. Sort of. It was probably an underage stumbling in, fake IDs exhausted from the night’s activities, the flirtations and the chance barroom brawls. We found the bottomless cups of coffee that dignified our demands. This “land of yes” where you can have anything you want at any time is the place that would reconcile the most random cravings. It is a stagecoach of equality and acceptance. And it’s why we come back under the most varied of circumstances.

Hampton Bays Diner Montauk Hwy @ Route 24

Décor: Roadhouse retro with polished wood and lots of windowsClientele: Real estate adventurers and lost ManhattanitesDistinguisher: One of the last few open 24hrs and actively using a liquor license

Décor: Deco meets doo-wop—classic 50s cars are etched on glass dividersClientele: Captains of industry settle billion dollar deals over bacon and eggsDistinguisher: Fran, the 30-year morning waitress, a celebrity in her own right

Sayville Modern Diner Main Street

Décor: Railcar meets sock hopClientele: Academics, teachers and professors who live and work nearbyDistinguisher: It’s haunted

Sweet Hollow Broadhollow Rd, Melville

Décor: Mirrored walls that throwback to 70s late-night glamClientele: Masters of the universe headquartered along the 110 corridorDistinguisher: Some of LI’s biggest deals were done over Sweet Hollow brew